2008 Toyota Tacoma
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
Vehicles › Toyota › Tacoma › 2008
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
These records cover every 2008 Toyota Tacoma. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
11 recalls name the 2008 Toyota Tacoma. Newest first.
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010 Camry, and 1989 and 2009-2010…
If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET number for this recall is SET16B.
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner. The affected vehicles may experience compression of the seat cushion…
Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.
SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected to began in January 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 Toyota Tacoma Pre-Runner and 4x4 vehicles manufactured September 14, 2009, to October 11, 2010. In the affected vehicles, one of the leaf springs may fracture due to stress or corrosion. While being driven, the broken leaf could move out of position and contact…
If the fuel tank leaks fuel from being punctured, there is an increased risk of a fire.
Toyota will notify owners and dealers will install new rear leaf spring assemblies. The recall began on January 29, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2008-2014 FJ Cruiser and Tacoma vehicles equipped with accessory wheels and tires installed by Toyota or dealers prior to the vehicle's first sale. The affected vehicles may list incorrect spare tire size and/or cold tire inflation information on the tire placard. As such…
If the spare tire is inflated to the incorrect pressure provided on the placard, tire failure may occur while it is being driven on, increasing the risk of a crash.
For the involved vehicles, overlay stickers to correct the tire placard will either be mailed to owners or provided to dealers for placement over the incorrect information on the placard. The recall is expected to begin in September 2014. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 Tacoma Access Cab vehicles manufactured September 14, 2004, through March 29, 2010; and model year 2011 Tacoma Access Cab vehicles manufactured July 1, 2010, through September 7, 2011. If the access doors are repeatedly and forcefully closed, the screws that attach the seat belt pre-tensioner to the seat belt…
If the seat belt pre-tensioner detaches from the seat belt assembly, the seat belt pre-tensioner will not perform as designed, increasing the risk of injury in a severe crash.
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat belt assemblies. Based on the inspection, the seat belt assembly will be replaced or new pre-tensioner screws will be installed with thread-locking sealant and a retractor spring cover with stopper ribs to prevent loosening of the screws. These services will be provided at no cost to the owner. The recall began during February 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Toyota IS recalling certain model year 2005-2009 tacoma vehicles, manufactured from september 14, 2004, through august 29, 2008. over time, steering wheel vibration may damage the spiral cable assembly (clockspring) that powers the drivers air bag module. if damage occurs, the air bag warning lamp will illuminate and the air bag may become deactivated.
In the event of a crash, the drivers side air bag may not deploy, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the spiral cable assembly, free of charge. an interim letter IS expected to be mailed to owners during april 2012. owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Toyota IS recalling certain model year 2008 through 2011 FJ cruiser, land cruiser, tacoma, sequoia and tundra vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 138, "tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS)." when factory-installed wheels and tires were replaced with toyota authorized accessory wheels and LT…
Failure to warn of tire deflations IS a non-compliance with fmvss 138 and could lead to tire failure increasing the risk of a crash.
For the land cruiser, sequoia, tacoma and tundra vehicles, the dealer will re-calibrate the tire pressure monitoring system on affected vehicles and install an updated tire and loading information label at no charge. for the FJ cruiser vehicles, the TPMS cannot be reset so the electronic control unit (ecu) for the TPMS will be replaced. toyota IS currently developing the remedy ecu. if an owner IS not certain whether his or her vehicle IS equipped with these accessories, please contact any toyota dealer for an inspection at no charge. the safety recall began on march 31, 2011. owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Gulf states toyota IS recalling certain model year 2005-2010 vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." these vehicles were sold between september 1, 2005 and june 2, 2008 without the requisite load carrying capacity modification labels.
This does not meet the standard requirements.
Dealers will mail to consumers the corrected label or the customer will have the option for dealers to install the label free of charge. Dealers will also correct the owner's manual. the safety recall began on may 27, 2010. owners may contact gulf states toyota at 713-580-3300.
Southeast toyota IS recalling certain model year 2005-2011 passenger vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." these vehicles were sold without the requisite load carrying capacity modification labels.
A driver may overload a vehicle which may increase the risk of a crash.
Dealers will mail to consumers the corrected label or the customer will have the option for dealers to install the label free of charge. the safety recall began on may 27, 2010. owners may contact southeast toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
Toyota IS recalling certain model year 2004-2010 passenger vehicles. the accelerator pedal can get stuck in the wide open position due to its being trapped by an unsecured or incompatible driver's floor mat.
A stuck open accelerator pedal may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop the vehicle, which could cause a crash, serious injury or death.
Toyota filed an amended defect report on november 25, 2009, stating that dealers will modify the accelerator pedal and, on certain vehicles, alter the shape of the floor surface under the pedal. these changes address the risk of pedal entrapment due to interference with the floor mat. redesigned accelerator pedals will become available beginning in april 2010 and dealers will replace any modified pedal with the new pedal if desired. also, dealers will replace any genuine toyota or lexus all-weather floor mats with redesigned all-weather mats, or repurchase the previous mats from owners who do not want the new ones. additionally, software modifications will be installed on camry, avalon and lexus ES 350, IS 350 and IS 250 models that will ensure that the brake overrides the accelerator in the event both brake and accelerator pedals are applied. toyota will begin mailing letters to owners on december 31, 2009. owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331, lexus at 1-800-255-3987.
Toyota IS recalling 27,080 model year 2005 through 2010 passenger cars built from september 1, 2005 to may 4, 2009. these vehicles were not equipped with load carrying capacity modification labels which fails to conform with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims."
Incorrect load carrying capacity modification labels could result in the vehicle being overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.
Toyota will notify owners and provide them with a new, accurate label to be installed over the inaccurate label free of charge. the safety recall began on august 18, 2009. owners may contact toyota at 1-888-270-9371.
While the vehicle was in park outside running after a diagnostic was completed to determine the reverse gear was no longer working while the vehicle was in park sitting outside it started to drive forward by itself until it drove it self into a parked car in the parking lot , currently with the vehicle in the park gear it is still driving forward , this could have killed someone , this is a defect that Toyota needs to make people aware of
Toyota Corporation refuses to replace the frame and other essential parts on our 2008 Toyota Tacoma, which has had 2 previous recalls for frame replacement. We were never made aware of the previous recalls by Toyota or it's dealer who sold us the truck. We were made aware of the serious condition of the frame when our mechanic personally inspected the vehicle and notified us that the frame needed replacement. Toyota refuses to inspect or acknowledge the unsafe condition of our truck frame. Photos supplied speak for themselves. Our Toyota Case # is XXX has resulted with no benefit or consideration from Toyota. Therefore we request #XXX Request for NEW recall. Our mechanic [XXX] informed us the local Toyota dealer (Lithia Toyota Missoula) and it's parent company are notorious for not informing owners about recalls. We were never told when we bought the vehicle used that there was a previous recall. Also, two years after our purchase we just learned there was a follow-up frame recall, which nobody informed us of it's existence. We are sure the NHTSA does not want this vehicle in service on the road. So, again, please issue another follow-up recall for full frame replacement to match the 2018 recall. We offered to Toyota to pay for the removal and installation costs if they would supply all parts (defined in the original recall). However, Toyota ignored our offer to share replacement costs. So please issue an enforceable recall for 2008 Toyota Tacoma total frame replacement. The vehicle is available for inspection. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at an independent shop for new tires, a certified mechanic inspected the vehicle and informed the contact that the subframe was severely rusted and the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The mechanic advised that the subframe required replacement. The contact learned of a manufacturer program offering to replace or coat the subframe due to insufficient coating. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the coverage had expired. The manufacturer was notified and confirmed that the program coverage had expired. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.
Significant rusting of frame noted on safety inspection.
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while taking the vehicle to a service center for a tire replacement, the contact was informed that the entire rear sub frame was extremely rusted. The mechanic informed the contact that the tires could not be replaced because the vehicle was unsafe to drive and stated that the VIN might be associated with a recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure via telephone. The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.
I have major rust on the frame of the truck and I was told by Toyota the warranty period is over. I just gave Toyota the Vin number and was told it was not covered. The rust is major and a safety issue.
Got oil changed and they found frame is rusted out. Called Toyota corp and they said they sent a notice to have it looked at on 04/12/2020 but we never received anything. This truck has always been garaged and we bought it new and has only 78148 miles. They refused to do anything.
Odometer Fraud. The contact was previously interested in a 2008 Toyota Tacoma. The contact discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy before the purchase was made, and the vehicle was not purchased. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 114,000. It was later discovered, upon checking with the local DMV, that the mileage was 196,000.
The brakes on my 2008 Toyota Tacoma were failing so I took it to a mechanic, who said that the brake lines had failed and needed to be replaced. However, he said that it wasn't worth putting any money into the truck, as the leaf springs were corroded along with the frame, which could crack apart at any time. As we only purchased the truck one year ago, he advised us to take it to the dealership where we purchased it, and informed us of the recalls on both of these issues. I spoke with the mechanic at the dealership because when we purchased the vehicle, they did the inspection and said that everything was fine. When I asked the mechanic about this, he said that he didn't have anything to do with sales and we needed to speak to the owner (who is out on medical leave). The mechanic said that when the dealership purchased the vehicle at auction, the frame must have been undercoated and so they missed it. When I mentioned the recall, he told me to call Toyota. I have checked the VIN and it is not showing an open recall for this vehicle. However, it is experiencing the exact same safety issues as the recalls for leaf spring corrosion and frame rust and cracking. I have only had this truck for a little over one year and do not know what to do. It is too dangerous to drive as it could cause a serious accident. Neither the dealership nor Toyota want to take responsibility and offer a solution.
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while his wife was entering the vehicle on the passenger’s side, the sidestep was stepped on, and there was an abnormal crunching sound coming from the step. The contact went to the passenger’s side front door and yanked on the sidestep, which caused the sidestep to almost separate from the sub frame. The contact looked underneath the vehicle and observed severe corrosion extending the length of the passenger’s and driver's side. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic due to the extent of the corrosion. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 173,807.
I am reporting a serious safety incident with my 2008 Toyota Tacoma. While driving at approximately 65 mph on the highway last week, my spare tire detached from the vehicle (unknown at that time). The Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) light activated, and I later discovered the spare had broken free and fallen off. This was unknown until a week later when the dealership said the TPMS went off due to a missing spare tire. The failure was caused by severe corrosion of the spare tire carrier/hoist assembly, which gave way without warning. This created an immediate highway hazard for vehicles behind me. Toyota has previously issued recalls for spare tire carrier corrosion on earlier Sequoia and Tundra models. However, my 2008 model year was not included — yet the exact defect has now occurred. This is not a matter of convenience or maintenance. A spare tire falling off at highway speeds is a life-safety defect that should be investigated by Toyota and NHTSA before someone is seriously injured or killed.
Wire connection on passenger side, under carpet. It is to the heater Temperature Control. The heater only works on High until you hit a bump or move the connector then it will start working until you bump it again. It is available for inspection upon request. A Certified Mechanic told me, It could potentially cause a fire by shorting out. I have two other friends with the same issue on their Toyota Tacoma's. .
report a paint defect on my 2008 Toyota Tacoma, painted in Super White (040). Over time, I have noticed significant paint peeling on multiple areas of the truck, including the roof, hood, and door frames. The paint is deteriorating down to the primer, and in some places, the metal is now exposed. I am aware of Toyota’s Customer Support Program T-SB-0162-19, which extends warranty coverage for similar paint issues on various Toyota models using the same Super White (040) and Blizzard Pearl (070) paints. However, I am disappointed to learn that the Tacoma—despite having identical paint and similar defects—was excluded from the original program. This paint failure is clearly not due to age or wear, but rather a manufacturing defect that has been documented by thousands of Tacoma owners nationwid
Loss of brakes
I have a 2008 Tacoma with a severely rusted frame. I just bought it a few months ago but didn’t know the frame was this bad. It’s unsafe to drive in its current state. Toyota will not honor their now expired recall for their faulty frames. Their frames were not coated properly from the factory and almost all tacomas had this issues that were in the cooler states of the US, and around the world for that matter.
Toyota has had a long history of excessive frame rust. This truck has excessive frame rust. There was a recall to fix this frame rust and my truck has not been fixed. Toyota will not fix the current recall for the spring replacement because of the frame rust. My life and my children’s lives are in danger due to the possible leaf suspension failure that may puncture the gas tank.
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that during a routine oil change, he was advised that the sub frame had extensive corrosion on the rear and front passenger’s side of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was informed that the sub frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 139,950.
Hope to be able to get this solved. My 2008 Toyota Tacoma had a recall with the previous owner but they didn't take it in. On the rear section of the frame on the inside beside the gas tank and on the driver side there is a lot of rust there the frame has expanded and is starting to go all away through also same place back beside the muffler on the passenger side. Also there are a few spots on the front part of the frame under the fire wall area on both sides. I had a recall on the truck and took it in and had it fixed which Toyota replaced the leaf springs on both sides and hardware. Says there was a recall when the previous owner had the truck. Will they validate that still? I've owned the truck almost a year now. But it's getting worse. Within a year I'm gonna have to park it because it liable to possible break in half. Toyota should of let me known when they had it on the lift replacing the rear leaf springs. Not my fault the previous owner didn't take the truck in to have them look at it.
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the steering wheel failed to move as intended and the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The contact continued driving at a slow speed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the pinion steering gear failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that on a separate occasion while driving 40 MPH, there was an abnormal revving sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the engine was leaking oil and the entire braking system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated while receiving an oil change, an independent mechanic discovered severe corrosion with the subframe of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the VIN and the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 130,000.
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while inspecting the vehicle, it was discovered that underneath the vehicle there was an abnormal amount of rust on the frame. The front passenger side frame was deteriorating. The dealer was called and made aware of the failure however the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact mentioned that the vehicle was parked and driven when necessary as they feared for their safety when the vehicle was driven. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the failure was a known issue. The approximate failure mileage was 106,000.
Some of the interior door light switches don't light @ night. I can probably take the door panel off & fix it... (buy bulbs)...? Door hinge on the gas cap breaks way to easily. Could fly off & hit someone\thing... Clunking sound coming from the rear end & I can't find where it's coming from... Gas cap gets loose & throws a p0333 code knock sensor bank 1 or 2 or both. Who put them under the manifold... ? Scary to get the code. That's a hr+ job that's doing it myself.$ Expensive from a shop $ Nothing to serious. 2nd Owner. Runs strong for the miles on it. Thank you, [XXX] , INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
In March of 2008, I purchased a new 2008 Toyota Tacoma (VIN: [XXX] ) from Orleans Toyota in Massachusetts. In July 2010 I re-located to New Hampshire and registered the vehicle in that state in July 2010 where I have resided since. The odometer reading at that time was 21,220 Miles. In September of 2014, I received a safety recall notice from Toyota regarding a potential frame corrosion problem. I scheduled an appointment with the local Toyota dealership in East Swanzy NH on September 12, 2014 to address this issue. The odometer reading at the time was 82,068 miles. There were two remediation options, as set by Toyota: A.Inspect frame, clean, and apply CRC if no perforations were found B.Inspect frame and if perforations found, replace the frame. Both of these options were intended to mitigate any and all risk of future corrosion of the frame that was a result of a known vehicle design flaw. Toyota chose to apply the CRC. I therefore assumed that the frame was intact at that point in time and the issue had been resolved. Between September 2014 and December 2019, I drove the vehicle 62 miles a day on [XXX] in NH commuting between Hillsboro and Keene for all 12 months of the year. This represents a total mileage of 87,939 (36,054 of which can be considered winter driving during the months of November thru March). The Toyota dealership inspected and passed the vehicle in 2023 without mention of any issue regarding the frame. On [XXX] of this year, the Toyota dealership rejected the state inspection due to severe frame corrosion (to the point that the technician felt it was a risk putting the truck on a lift). It should be noted that this vehicle has only been driven 3,000 since it passed inspection in 2023, none of which were during Winter months. In addition, there are no visible signs of rust or corrosion on the exterior of the vehicle. The above points to the fact that the CRC application in 2014 was ineffective in mitigating the safety issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOI
Tried to avoid a deer and the frame of truck felt unstable and felt like it was folding. I looked at the frame there are rust holes through out the whole frame. How could they design this and not back it up.
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to the dealer for the State inspection, the dealer informed the contact that the subframe was severely corroded, and there was a large hole in the front leaf spring shackles. The dealer determined that the subframe needed to be reinforced at an auto body shop. The dealer provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that two extended warranty letters related to the failure were sent to the vehicle owners. The manufacturer informed the contact that the Extended Warranties had expired; however, the contact never received the letters. The failure mileage was approximately 107,811.
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.